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Sunday, November 23, 2008

Do you remember the saying "live and let live"? It was a great motto of the 70's and for everyone who embraced their right to just float around, doing or not doing anything they wanted with anyone they wanted... all the while wanting everyone to be accepted for being them self and still (somehow) taking care of their own basic needs and not relying on society to take care of them (they relied on each other).

Remember that?

I always thought free-thinkers like that were liberals. I didn't necessarily think that was a bad thing but never really thought much about it either. Although I never spent much time thinking about it, I felt it was their right to feel whatever they wanted. Now many of those same individuals have spent a great deal of their lives making their children feel the same way... "live and let live".

Sounds wonderful to me. As a matter of fact, I have taught my son that he can be anything he wants and that so long as he gets there honestly, I will always be proud of his achievements. He also knows how to be tolerant of others... but not because I forced it down his throat (not like so many liberals do today). The tolerance he learned was a simple lesson in how to win and lose without making everyone around you feel horrible. You don't spend your time whining and crying when you lose... you don't accuse others of cheating or playing an unfair game just because you lost. You don't spend your time rubbing someone else's face in the dirt if you win... you don't destroy their self worth by pointing at them and laughing.

That's it... to me that lesson teaches all the tolerance a person really needs. If you know how to win and how to lose, you will have accomplished something so many others have not. You will feel joy for those who have done something great even if you have not and you will still feel pride in yourself when you accomplish something and not make everyone around you feel miserable.

... but back to the "live and let live" individuals. It has taken me a long time to realize that many of them have hidden motives behind this freedom of thought ideal. I always thought they included everyone in that motto. Unfortunately, many of them have now moved on into political footholds in our society... politicians, journalists, educators... so many of them have slipped into these once inspiring and proud rolls of our society.

And some of them are frauds... they either didn't participate in the "live and let live" movement or they just went along for the ride seeing a much bigger way of using the motto for a different agenda.

Now we have the "live and let live so long as it's the right way" groups and individuals. They want freedoms but primarily for those people who, in their eyes, deserve certain freedoms. They want these freedoms GRANTED to those who follow the special rules they have created. They want freedoms withheld from anyone who disagrees with them and has the audacity to speak up and say something about it. They want all of us to do exactly what they want us to do so they can claim victory over an invisible foe that only they can see.

All the while, they forget that other countries and groups with their own hidden agenda are watching them and amusing themselves of the ignorance that they are enforcing. Not only do they hope everyone will run around with these ideals, they want to then take them and crush them into non-existence. Do you think Islam really loves the fact Obama is in power? Do you think they agree with any of his personal or political points of view? No... what they believe in is the fact that if they can get a very liberal president into power, then they can eventually control him or control the society he creates while in office. It could be they take full advantage next year or they could be patient and wait to see if he gets elected to a second term.

What have we learned about ourselves from this recent fateful presidential election? We learned that a majority of Americans have bought into the concept that America is the problem with the world. We have learned that if we attempt to protect ourselves or fight back against our enemies we will be condemned by the world as aggressors. We have learned that it is our inherent bigotry and racism that is the fundamental cause of the dangerous instability in this world. We have learned that the only way to combat this growing menace to world peace is to 'embrace the other' and elect a man of color -- regardless of his qualifications or character -- in order to make a statement to the world that we recognize our national historical guilt and that we are willing, no, determined, to change. To accomodate the world, we will change what it means to be an American. We will be less concerned with our American exceptionalism and more concerned with the needs of the world we live in. We have been guilty of gross arrogance and monumental hubris, and we are willing to make amends.

We have also learned that, for the majority of Americans, the fact that our enemies have not broken down our doors and attacked us in our homes for seven years now proves that they are no longer there. Or if they are there, that they no longer pose the threat to our existence that we once thought they did. 49% of Americans polled during this past election thought that the most serious issue facing this nation was the economy. The next most pertinent issue was terrorism, which was ranked at an inconsequential 9%. Now, the question is this. Does the existential threat to our nation diminish in direct relation to our acknowledgement of it? Have our sworn enemies become less dangerous to us because we refuse to look at them?

They know that a liberal society is much easier to defeat than a conservative society... conservatives will stand up for the rights of liberals while liberals will simply let conservatives drown.

"Why do you call me a racist when you don't even know me?" she screamed. Made no difference. Grossmann was felled by the largest of the four. She hit her head on the brick wall, and staggered back to her dorm. The other three black women at the beating chucked at this dark manifestation of partisan evil. They walked away laughing, offering no help to their victim. The banality of evil had asserted itself. And at four-to-one, it was also a cowardly act of mindless violence which, presumably, the four thought "normal."

Although I have taught my son tolerance indirectly through how to win and how to lose... I feel that tolerance as our society teaches us is a joke. So many liberals preach tolerance of others who are different and yet they do nothing when students in our colleges are singled out and beaten for being conservative. It's a joke! It has nothing to do with tolerance and "live and let live". It has everything to do with dictatorship.

Friday, November 21, 2008

I was playing Monopoly with the family the other night and noticed a parallel to the real world. Not the usual "buy property, get rich" parallel... that ideal doesn't seem to be as prominent from what the media is telling us. No... this was a parallel of how those who are not as successful as others treat those who are very successful.

Players tend to gang up on the one who is making the most money and has the most properties, etc. It seems a natural instinct to go after the person who is doing well when others are not. Perhaps this is why so many people in the real world feel that the rich should pay a much higher amount than those who don’t make as much. It makes sense from a percentage standpoint but the difference between monopoly and the real world is that there is not a limit to how many people can be successful. In monopoly there are only so many players who can gain so many properties… in America… the possibilities are endless.

Please note... post full of sarcasm... just a little fun.

I did not roll the highest number and was forced to go last out of the starting gate. I rolled a 5 and Arc rolled a 6... but he was sitting to my left and even though I had the 2nd highest roll, I had to go last. This is the first "unfair" part of the game.

Due to the fact Arc rolled the highest number, he was able to accumulate properties right off the bat and was getting the upper hand. I was "unlucky" in my rolls as I did not land on any properties to purchase until my second time around the board... this also was "unfair".

Our son J began making some shady deals with Arc, thus giving him an early Monopoly with the two properties with the highest rent... again... unfair. I finally got a Monopoly after a little wheeling and dealing with J but ended up with the LOWEST rented properties on the board... again... unfair. What was even more unfair was that only twice did anyone land on those squares and at one point, I was in jail so could not collect. Sigh...

Eventually, our son T lost almost all of his money and was homeless with several mortgaged properties. At one point he started making a come-back and even unmortgaged his properties. This did not last long as Arc had accumulated enough money to put cities on his properties. Unfortunately, T landed on one of those and went completely bankrupt, forcing him out of the game. I too had cities on my properties, but since no one was landing there, it really didn't matter... plus, my poor business practices of accumulating these stupid properties really wasn't a consideration... right?

No amount of convincing would get Arc to trade with me so that I could obtain another Monopoly even though he clearly had the best on the board and could afford to give up just "one" card. This was highly unfair... how on earth was I to be able to compete if all options were blocked?

Eventually, J landed on Arc's properties (about 3 times) and ended up going bankrupt. He did come back from the brink a couple of times and even got his properties back... but alas "the man" stuck it to him and he had to leave the game.

I landed on his properties a couple of times myself but had accumulated quite a bit of money even though the game was so clearly unfair and stacked against me. All during the game we were hoping he would go to jail or have to pay higher taxes or have some other catastrophe happen... but alas his luck did not run out.

Mine, on the other hand, did... although I had accumulated quite a bit by then, I knew that landing on one of his several properties would do me in. Still, he would not trade with me or make any kind of deal... he merely waited for me to fail and hope he could benefit from my crisis. Alas, I landed and went into a great tailspin to my end.

The moral... never play against greedy players.

{dramatic pause}

All kidding aside... we had a great deal of fun playing. This was a lesson in economics and personal beliefs for me. Truly, those of us not doing so well felt that the rich player "had it coming to him" when something bad happened, while those not so rich were ignored and it was okay when they succeeded... but just a little bit. If they began to gain too much, suddenly they were a threat.

Both Arc and J had an interest in gaining great wealth and destroying their opponents. Because of this, it seemed only fair when bad things happened to them. In reality, they were the better negotiators and did a better job of utilizing their wealth to create more wealth. They landed on the same tax squares and pulled the same cards that caused them to put more money into the kitty. But when you're a player who is drowning, you want all the bad stuff to happen to the player who is not.

So... is this what liberals feel? Do they feel that since a person is wealthy and accumulating money that they must have bad things happen to them in order to make it fair for those who are not doing so well? I've read things and heard things and have seen how they delight in the failure of anyone who is just "too wealthy" and "too successful" compared to the guy sitting on his couch watching Jay Leno and reruns of the Flintstones. Clearly sitting on your butt qualifies as trying your best... right?

What rich liberals want is for "other" rich people to give a majority of their fortune to those who are not rich... but specifically anyone who is poor and agrees with liberals. No... I really DO mean that. It doesn't benefit liberals to give handouts to those who don't agree with them. You can almost visualize them trying to convince these desperate individuals with a little cash, a wink and a nod.

Another question... how many very rich liberals give significant amounts of money to charities? I'm sure there are some... just as there are rich conservatives who give. But I can tell you one liberal who does not... our new vice president.

... and what was the price of gas where I live today? This is an ongoing research project that I will add to as I find more information.

11/20/2008 ~gas where I live @ $1.97 today~

11/18/2008 ~gas where I live @ $1.99 today~

This chart represents the average retail price of gas where I live during the last 6 months (today is 11/20/08). As you can see, the prices began to fall slowly around August 5th (give or take) and then took a sharp decline around October 7th.

This chart represents the average retail price of gas where I live during the last 36 months (or 3 years). As you can see there was a bit of rollercoaster riding going on with a steady and significant increase February 07 to June 07 and then a dramatic increase February 08 to July 08. Gas around here is usually higher in the spring/summer months but the increase during 2008 was significant as we went from about $2.89 to $4.13 in five months.

Please note that we were around $4.13 in June/July 2008 when the prices started to ease down a bit with a sudden and dramatic drop beginning around October 7th through the current date of November 20th (only 44 days) wherein the price was $1.97 at the station I drive passed every day.

The prices at the pump today were last seen December 2005.

So why the sudden and dramatic drop? What happened at the top of October that caused our prices to plunge? The bigger question... how long will it last and how low will it go? Will Congress and other law makers decide that since we were SO WILLING to pay $4.13 that they can now raise our taxes on gas because "clearly" we can afford it!!

Do you know how I afforded it? Let me tell you my secret... shhhhh... come a little closer. I was held hostage by the gas prices and didn't go anywhere. I drove to work, to the grocery store, to a friend's house once in a while... but for the most part, I didn't go anywhere. No vacation... no fun purchases... very few dinners away from home... I was a prisoner in my own town. Oh, I suppose I could have splurged, right? No... you see, I need the money that comes from my job and I need to be able to get to my job in order to have that money to feed my family. I don't need to go on vacation.

But truly... is that what our government wants? Does our government want me to stay at home, unable to afford an extra tank of gas to go visit my mother or spend a little money at the mall? Do they want me to feel helpless and uncertain? Do they want me to hoard what I have and hide "my precious" away in my pockets?

Seems like it...

... and I'm not sure what to think of the gas prices... how is it we can have a such dramatic difference in just 44 days?

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Something I found by accident while visiting the Al Gore's Internet. Basically I was searching for "what caused 911" and came up with several articles blaming George Bush... and even one blaming Ronald Reagan. Seems people want to internalize the blame rather than say "it was the terrorists" or maybe "it was Islam". For shame!!

I have not researched the accuracy of this article, but found it quite interesting. At a later date, I will do a little research to see if I can find the entire transcript of Mr. Clinton's speach on 11/12/01. If anyone else finds it, please let me know in the comments. ~thanks~

There are many good consequences of Bill Clinton no longer being president, but not the least is that at last we can find out what he really thinks. As long as Mr. Clinton was in the White House, getting the truth out of him was like looking for intelligent life on Mars. But last week, after a year of rest and relaxation, the ex-president revealed to a breathless world exactly why America was attacked by terrorists on Sept. 11.

The reason is that it’s all our fault. For hundreds of years we mistreated the Indians, owned slaves and even committed crusading, with the result that the Sept. 11 attacks are the butcher’s bill for our long record of crime and terrorism.

Speaking before an audience of about 1,000 students at Georgetown University, the former president unbosomed an astonishing range of ignorance about various historical events and even more flawed thinking about what the events mean and what they have to do with the Sept. 11 attacks.

“Here in the United States,” he disclosed, “we were founded as a nation that practiced slavery, and slaves quite frequently were killed even though they were innocent.” “This country once looked the other way when a significant number of native Americans were dispossessed and killed to get their land or their mineral rights or because they were thought of as less than fully human.... And we are still paying a price today” for those sins.

Such scholarship already. Mr. Clinton is indeed right that the United States practiced slavery from its beginnings and that some slaves were killed. So did most other societies, European and not, for a lot longer than the United States. We also nabbed Indian land. So did the British, the French, and the Spanish, not to speak of Indians themselves. All that’s true, and you can learn about it, not by attending universities, but simply by watching TV reruns and old movies. Why Arab terrorists should attack us for those deeds today is another question, of course.

As for the morality of it, that’s another story, but if indeed these events were things we should not only be ashamed of but even punished for, as Mr. Clinton implied, then the entire American national experience is illegitimate. Without slavery and the expropriation of the Indians, there would be no America at all, and if you can’t live with the one, you’re not going to be comfortable with the other.

But it’s not just America and its past with which Mr. Clinton is itchy, but the entire record of Western civilization, reaching as far back as the Crusades. “In the first Crusade, when the Christian soldiers took Jerusalem, they first burned a synagogue with 300 Jews in it and proceeded to kill every woman and child who was a Muslim on the Temple Mount. I can tell you that story is still being told today in the Middle East and we are still paying for it.”

Various questions immediately arise. What exactly are “we”—presumably modern Americans—supposed to do about it, since the Crusaders have been dead for about a thousand years? And what could it possibly have to do with contemporary terrorism? Why don’t Jews commit terrorism against us if they’re still talking about it in the Middle East? Why do Middle Easterners commit terrorism against Americans, who weren’t even around during the First Crusade, which took place in 1096?

Ever since Sept. 11 there have been various reasons offered as to why the terrorists attacked us, many of them simply cant constructed to make us look good (they attacked us because we’re a “democracy” or because we practice tolerance and let women go to school) or to avoid blaming U.S. support for Israel lest some people think we should stop doing so. But even these phony rationales attributed to the terrorists argue that we were attacked because of our virtues, and some critics of U.S. foreign policy (such as your servant) believe we were attacked because of our foreign policy in the Middle East generally. But as far as I know, no one has suggested that we had it coming all along—until now.

What Mr. Clinton is telling us is that the West itself, as well as the United States, are so wrapped up in terror themselves that they not only deserve to be attacked by terrorism but also that they are simply not legitimate political and cultural orders—that the West and the United States are inherently criminal and terrorist systems. That, of course, is a profoundly anti-American and anti-Western view, as well as being without historical or ethical merit. But what’s good about Mr. Clinton’s speech is that, after lying to us consistently as president for eight years, he has at last told us what he really thinks.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

You laughed, didn't you... and I do mean you must have laughed really, really hard cause death is just so funny...

Granted, this is not headline news and it's just a way for this couple to get attention and get their "one day of fame" in the blog world.

"This guy and girl dressed up as one of the twin towers and a plane for Halloween, when the girl was asked if she thought she would offend anyone she replied, “No, it’s cool, my aunt died on the 64th floor, and it was a conspiracy anyway.” Are you kidding me? I’m all for grossly offensive jokes but not when it’s taken THAT far."

The comments under this picture on the site called The Dirty were angry about this costume... not so much offended for themselves but angry for those who died during the terrorist attack. This site has some, shall we say, questionable photos and people are not offended by much... but this was different.

Question: How is it that since this woman knows someone who died and she thinks it was a conspiracy it's okay to joke about those who died?

Another Question: Would she dress up to look like her aunt's killer if she were killed during a home invasion? What if her aunt was run over by a train... would she dress up like a train?

This isn't a way of honoring someone you love... it's a way of mocking their death and saying you don't really give a damn.

Seems to me (and several others) she's just another inconsiderate person who hasn't dealt with the truth of the matter... terrorists killed her aunt and if she cared for the woman at all, she would not have dressed up in such a manner.

There are a lot of things people joke about that are really inappropriate but we pooh-pooh them and shrug our shoulders and sometimes even giggle a little. But I don't see anything humorous about death... I'm not going to laugh at jokes about 911. I'm not going to laugh about the things Hitler did. I'm not going to laugh about thousands of people dying in an earthquake. Death is not funny and if you think it is... truly, get yourself to the hospital and get a lobotomy.

No matter who you happen to think is to blame for the Twin Towers coming down... do you think it's funny that all those people died?

NOTE: When I first viewed this photo, I was just looking primarily at "her". Stop and look at "him" and tell me what you see. I'll tell you what I see... I see that they've pasted bodies falling off his costume to imitate the actual victims who jumped out of the building. WOW... somehow that makes this thing just that much FUNNIER, doesn't it?

I doubt any group has ever showed their true colors quite so brightly and so childishly since the death of Journalism this year during the presidential election.

Please see CA Gays Bully Prop 8 Supporters - Changed this voters mind which explains why this issue has now become an "issue" for me on any future ballots. In the past I felt it wasn't really something I needed to vote on because whether or not marriage extended to gays was not something I fretted over. If they put it on the ballot and were granted the right... that was fine with me. If they put it on the ballot and it didn't go through... I was fine with that as well.

Now... well... now things are different. Let us look at some recent events that particularly have pushed me in this direction.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which opponents say donated more than $20 million to the Yes on 8 campaign, has already become a focus of protests, with demonstrators gathered around Mormon temples not only in California but across the country.[...]African-Americans, 70% of whom voted yes on Proposition 8, according to a CNN exit poll, have become a target. According to eyewitness reports published on the Internet, racial epithets have been used against African-Americans at protests in California, directed even at blacks who are fighting to repeal Proposition 8. Said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, "In any fight, there will be people who say things they shouldn't say, but that shouldn't divert attention from what the vast majority are saying against this, that it's a terrible injustice.[...]In addition to protests, gay activists have begun publishing lists online exposing individuals and organizations who have donated money in support of Proposition 8. On AntiGayBlacklist.com, individuals who gave money toward Proposition 8 are publicized, with readers urged not to patronize their businesses or services. The list of donors was culled from data on ElectionTrack.com, which follows all contributions of over $1,000 and all contributions of over $100 given before October 17.[...]Meanwhile, lists of donors to Proposition 8, once trumpeted on the Yes on 8 Web site, have been taken down to protect individuals from harassment. "It's really awful," says Frank Schubert, campaign manager for Yes on Proposition 8. "No matter what you think of Proposition 8, we ought to respect people's right to participate in the political process. It strikes me as quite ironic that a group of people who demand tolerance and who claim to be for civil rights are so willing to be intolerant and trample on other people's civil rights."

Let's look at that last part again...

"No matter what you think of Proposition 8, we ought to respect people's right to participate in the political process. It strikes me as quite ironic that a group of people who demand tolerance and who claim to be for civil rights are so willing to be intolerant and trample on other people's civil rights."

Exactly what I meant when I posted: "Running around rioting when you lose and rioting when you win tells me you don't care about anyone ELSE'S rights... so why should I care about yours?"

That truly does seem to be the bottom line here. No matter where you stand on an issue, if it is on a public ballot to be voted on, then each person has the legal right to vote as they choose without fear of intimidation or harm.

Perhaps the activists should take aim at officials or laws that made it legal to put the measure on the ballot to begin with, instead of targeting people that fought for what they believed in.

Gay activists that are acting like children, stomping their feet and having a temper tantrum, vandalizing churches, publishing personal information about people that dared oppose your point of view, is nothing short of intimidation and should not be tolerated at all.

When judgments come down in favor of gay rights, gay activists like to proclaim loudly that it is the Democratic way, the people have spoken and all that jazz, yet when the people vote, by a majority, slim or not, and 52 percent IS a majority, against something those same activists do not agree with, they act like out of control little spoiled brats.

Guess what folks? Life isn't always fair and sometimes the majority of voters do not agree with a minority group, it happens, grow the hell up and deal with it and work harder next time to get your own proposals passed, but stop acting out and showing your own intolerance while proclaiming that others are intolerant of you.

That simply makes you look hypocritical.

I agree with this completely... these are the same types of thoughts I have been having regarding this issue. They are acting like spoiled brats. Instead of attacking the rights of other people, why not reorganize and try again?

I don't have a problem with protests or boycotts... that is everyone's right when they disagree with others. What I have a problem with is confronting those your protesting in such a way as to try to intimidate them and turn them to your side of the fence. If they don't agree with you... it's their right as American citizens.

The LA Times should be ashamed of their contribution to this issues. I am not linking but it can be found in the post linked above.

Proposition 8: The battle over gay marriageAbout 52% of Californians voted yes on Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that alters the state Constitution to ban same-sex marriages. Use the Times interactive maps below to see how voters divided along geographic and demographic lines, as well as to compare the vote on Prop. 8 to other measures, including a nearly identical ban that passed by 61% in March 2000.

Not a big deal there... but right under this little bit of info is a way of tracking how people contributed either for or against Prop 8 by county, by city and by individual. You can go to this site and enter the name of the possible donor to see if they come up... or... you can just search all and 68,906 entries.

In the end, Protect Marriage estimates, as much as half of the nearly $40 million raised on behalf of the measure was contributed by Mormons.

[...]

To that end, the group that put the issue on the ballot rebuffed efforts by some groups to include a ban on domestic partnership rights, which are granted in California. Mr. Schubert cautioned his side not to stage protests and risk alienating voters when same-sex marriages began being performed in June.

“We could not have this as a battle between people of faith and the gays,” Mr. Schubert said. “That was a losing formula.”

But the “Yes” side also initially faced apathy from middle-of-the-road California voters who were largely unconcerned about same-sex marriage. The overall sense of the voters in the beginning of the campaign, Mr. Schubert said, was “Who cares? I’m not gay.”

[...]

The “Yes” campaign was denounced by opponents as dishonest and divisive, but the passage of Proposition 8 has led to second-guessing about the “No” campaign, too, as well as talk about a possible ballot measure to repeal the ban. Several legal challenges have been filed, and the question of the legality of the same-sex marriages performed from June to Election Day could also be settled in court.

For his part, Mr. Schubert said he is neither anti-gay — his sister is a lesbian — nor happy that some same-sex couples’ marriages are now in question. But, he said, he has no regrets about his campaign.

[...]

Mr. Otterson said it was too early to tell what the long-term implications might be for the church, but in any case, he added, none of that factored into the decision by church leaders to order a march into battle. “They felt there was only one way we could stand on such a fundamental moral issue, and they took that stand,” he said. “It was a matter of standing up for what the church believes is right.”

That said, the extent of the protests has taken many Mormons by surprise. On Friday, the church’s leadership took the unusual step of issuing a statement calling for “respect” and “civility” in the aftermath of the vote.

“Attacks on churches and intimidation of people of faith have no place in civil discourse over controversial issues,” the statement said. “People of faith have a democratic right to express their views in the public square without fear of reprisal.”

I understand that this is an interesting fact to this campaign... that Mormons contributed half and that they may be one of the big factors to the "yes" victory. Most of the protests have gone towards individuals or organizations that the protesters know won't retaliate. When was the last time anyone heard of a Mormon getting into a fist fight. Oh... I'm sure it happens, but it's fairly rare and if it does happen... the entire universe hears about it.

It shows that these protesters are willing to attack those they know will not react in a violent manner. Instead, they will be prayed for or just smiled at and told that god loves them. Again... I don't see a problem with protesters with picket signs outside Mormon temples... I see a problem with people burning books of the Mormon faith or attempting any other type of intimidation to bring about a feeling of threat or a real threat for future voting.

LITTLETON, Colo. (AP)- A fire outside a Mormon church in Littleton is being investigated as a bias-motivated arson that may have stemmed from the church's position on a gay marriage amendment in California.

Arapahoe County sheriff's deputies responded to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, some three hours after a church member found a burning copy of The Book of Mormon on a door step.

No damage to the church was reported.

The caller who reported the fire told authorities that an LDS regional facilities manager indicated the incident may have been in retaliation to the church's stance on Proposition 8.

The measure passed last week bans same-sex marriage in the California constitution.

SALT LAKE CITY – The FBI says the white powder that spilled onto a mail clerk's hand at the Utah headquarters of the Mormon church is nontoxic.

FBI spokesman Juan T. Becerra said Friday that tests came back negative. The powder was in an envelope opened Thursday that was sent to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City.

Another letter with a suspicious powder arrived Thursday at a Mormon temple in Los Angeles. It also has been determined to be nontoxic.

The temples were the sites of recent protests against the church's support for California's gay marriage ban.

Becerra says the FBI is still investigating both cases.

Gee... these incidents make me want to give marriage rights to gays. I mean, if they can be so responsible as to threaten organizations with scare tactics then surely they can deal with the greater aspects of marriage... like individual freedoms of expression, caring for each other no matter what, loving unconditionally... you know... the stupid parts of marriage.

To put it another way, had Obama not been so popular and had voter turnout been more traditional – meaning the proportion of white voters had been higher – chances are fairly strong that Proposition 8 would have failed.

Some gay rights leaders have been bitter that voters from two ethnic groups that have experienced discrimination should vote so strongly to deny gays the right to marry. But they could take solace from the statistical probability that in an election with less excitement and a lower turnout, they'd probably prevail.

As protesters took to the streets for a fifth day, Governor ArnoldSchwarzenegger yesterday expressed hope that the California Supreme Court wouldoverturn Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that outlawed same-sex marriage.

"I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage. But when you start playing around with constitutions, just to prohibit somebody who cares about another person, it just seems to me that's not what America's about. Usually, our constitutions expand liberties, they don't contract them."

In other words... he is not in favor of gay marriage but he is in favor of it. I'm confused.

Prop 8 is proving that the issue of gay marriage is not Republican vs. Democrat or Conservative vs. Liberal or even Right vs. Left (see Schwarzenegger vs. Obama above). It isn't about black vs. white vs. Latino or any other ethnic background... many whites didn't care one way or the other and it turns out many blacks and Latinos did care.

The outcome of this issue in California proves that we as Americans have views about issues important to us that have NOTHING to do with our political background, heritage, race, gender, etc. etc. It has everything to do with what an individual believes in or feels is important!!

This is a free country and we decide based on many different factors... this issue proves that there are still some people who are making choices based primarily on what they believe... not what the masses pressure them into thinking.

Now... based on that and based on what the protesters are doing, like disrupting church services, confronting voters, setting fires, targeting those who will silently do nothing... it seems clear that they are in favor of making it public knowledge of how a voter votes; unless of course, it does not favor them. I make that last little comment based entirely on how they're acting... forcing your rights on people by taking the rights of others away or somehow disrupting those rights only proves that you're "in it" only for yourself!

Question: Since they're protesting Catholics and Mormons... why not Muslims?

What is forbidden in Islam- Homosexuality or practicing Homosexuality?The common concept for Muslim homosexuals is to commit suicide since they can't be punished for being homosexuals in a non-Islamic state, but two wrongs don't make one right. While homosexuality is wrong, it doesn't justify suicide under any conditions or circumstances. Please know that if you ever commit suicide, you would have seriously misunderstood Islam and its spirit.

Please look at that last sentence...

Please know that if you ever commit suicide, you would have seriously misunderstood Islam and its spirit.

I'm sure it wasn't meant to imply that a person could commit suicide and then read this article... but it sure sounds that way.

Anyway... back to my original question... why not protest Muslim voters who voted YES on Prop 8?

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Some children throw fits when they don't get what they want. Apparently, so do certain members of our society who live in California when they don't get what they want.

The ballot for Proposition 8 was simply "Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry." The text to be added to the constitution was "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

If you put something on the ballot, you take a chance on not getting your way. If you don't get what you want, you try it again... you don't go out and bully or engulf those who disagree with you with anger.

The litmus test results are in: If you're against the legalization of same-sex marriage and are discovered, you can't be involved in the performing arts in California, even though the majority of potential patrons in your state agree with you.Under the pressure of a threatened boycott, the artistic director of a Sacramento theater has stepped down after it was learned that he contributed to Yes side ("yes, same-sex marriage should be prohibited") of the supposedly Golden State's Proposition 8 campaign.

Scott Eckern, artistic director of the California Musical Theatre is being forced to resign his post and leaving the organization due to a donation to the movement supporting the amendment. Because of Eckern's support, playwrights and other artists mounted a boycott of the theater and promised not to stop unless Eckern resigned.

Perhaps a list can be generated in order to boycott businesses who did not support Prop 8. I wonder how the media would react to such an action. Would they rush to the scene to report how people were protesting against those who didn't support it? Or would they call the protest a "group of hate mongers"?

It's amazing how it's okay for some people to protest and it's called equal rights... but when it's reversed, suddenly the protesters are racist or hate mongers.

I don't live in California and I'm mildly interested in the issue of gays getting married... but I will not support it if comes here because of one factor and one factor only; the way people act when they don't get their way tells me everything I need to know. My past inclination would be to not vote one way or the other... they changed my mind.

The only thing worse than a poor loser is a poor winner. Running around rioting when you lose and rioting when you win tells me you don't care about anyone ELSE'S rights... so why should I care about yours?

One other thing... why do they feel compelled to push their sexuality in my face? When was the last time a bunch of heterosexuals had a parade to commemorate their sexuality and the fact they have sex with those of the opposite sex?

Please... please don't tell me that gay right parades are not about sex. I've seen some of the parades and witnessed some of the people locked in cages and wearing outrageous outfits usually not seen in public. They are there to flaunt what they are and what they do... their objective is to SHOCK and MORTIFY as many people as possible; especially anyone who is modest.

There are gays in those parades who are not dressed that way and you just know that some are embarrassed to be seen with the "outrageous" and the "odd". It would be the same if I were in a parade with heterosexuals wearing something they found at a sex shop. It's really not a matter of sexual preference so much as a matter of common sense. Keep that stuff in your own home... I could care less what you do there; that's why we invented walls and locked doors.

Monday, November 10, 2008

So much is going on... and so much of it just makes the stress on my neck visible from miles away. So... I'm going to have a little "Quick Items of Interest" section for those times when I just can't say enough but hope others can figure it out on their own.

Item #1

Michigan liberals attack Lansing congregation in the middle of Sunday worship - briefly... about 30 "individuals" overran a church in order to shout that "Jesus was gay," (and other things) as they rushed the stage. Some tried to hang a profane banner while others tossed fliers into the air. Two women began kissing at the pulpit. For props, they used "a video camera, a megaphone, noise makers, condoms, glitter by the bucket load, confetti, pink fabric." This went on apparently while a "journalist" from the Lansing City Pulse came along as a witness (not bothering to prevent the vandalism or violence)."

~ This type of behavior only enforces how little respect they have for others and how bad it looks for gays everywhere. This is the type of garbage that makes every-day citizens NOT want to speak to gays let alone give them their own special rights... and based on this bit of action, they WANT special rights. Being disrespectful just for the sake of getting attention is childish. By the way... this group of gays does not represent those I have met personally; those I have met would be embarrassed to be associated with this group.~

Item #2

"It's important that president elect Obama is prepared to really take power and begin to rule day one. "

~I see... so Obama is now the ruler of the free world, not just the leader. Is anyone else's blood pressure rising?~

"Environmentalists on Monday applauded an announcement that U.S. President-Elect Barack Obama would consider curtailing oil and gas drilling in some areas, and expressed hope future energy policy decisions would contain more environmental protections."

~I love how people at work keep saying "did you see how low gas was this weekend... it cost me less than $40 to fill my tank!!!"

Not for long ladies, not for long. ~

Item #4

And this one really makes me impressed at how the Democrats or the Liberals or the Left (whatever you want to call them and whomever wants to take credit) respect our CURRENT president.

Proposal Would Rename SF Sewage Plant After Bush - "Some residents were only too happy to sign the petition. "It seems like a good way to commemorate one of the people who is the most full of what's in the sewage plant," suggested James Chiancini."

~Luckily there are some who are also appalled. This isn't humor and it isn't respectful. I don't care how much I dislike Bill Clinton... I still don't feel naming a sewage plant after him is appropriate. Or is it?? ~

Item #5

For those of you who actually made it to the bottom of this post, I would like to share with you something I overheard at work today from the same ladies who are extremely happy about Obama being president. These are not exact quotes because, unlike others, I was actually trying to work [while eavesdropping... :o)... but I couldn't help it since she was just 5 feet from me].

Today, Lady A said to Lady B that she feels that the extreme wealthy don't need such an enormous amount of money because they don't need it to live and having huge homes is really not necessary. She announced in a "quiet whispering like voice" that she's very close to being socialist and feels that socialism works (using Norway as an example). She thinks that when everyone is in the middle class, then there are no poor people and lots of happy people.

Literally two minutes later, Lady A came back to Lady B to tell a story about a man she knows. This man has to go to court for fighting wherein he was the one who was attacked. He apparently said the wrong things about unions while surrounded by union mambers. The point of her story was to show that it was unfair that he was being charged with "anything" because he wasn't the one who did the attacking; just the provoking.

Her final words were that it was this man's right to say these things because of freedom of speech.

{dramatic pause}

So she feels socialism will help everyone live in the middle class, which will make them happy, but also feels freedom of speech is important. Since socialism does not promote the idea of freedom of speech anywhere close to America's laws, I'm left wondering how she knows that the people living in a socialist society are happy if they can't speak out against their government (or more than likely, feel helpless to do so).

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but ... I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you -- we as a people will get there."

I don't know why this didn't bother Obama supporters BEFORE he was elected. The woman who said she won't have to worry about putting gas in her car or paying her mortgage is going to be very disappointed because Obama may not be able to help her during the first year or even his first term. But he will ask her again and again to support him blindly with FAITH and HOPE. You remember Faith and Hope, right...

He said also that he had consulted with all living former presidents, who were gracious, and joked that "I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you know, doing any séances." Nancy Reagan consulted an astrologer while her husband was in the White House. A spokeswoman said Mr. Obama later called Mrs. Reagan to apologize for the joke and that they had a warm conversation.

Mr. Obama left the door open to the possibility that economic conditions might prompt him to change his tax plan that would give a break to most families but raise taxes on those making more than $250,000 annually.

"I think that the plan that we've put forward is the right one, but obviously over the next several weeks and months, we're going to be continuing to take a look at the data and see what's taking place in the economy as a whole," he said.

I love this... I love how he can make fun of past presidents or their wives and then rush off to make nice and all is forgiven. Not only was the comment not appropriate, not significant or even necessary... it was false. Nancy Reagan didn't hold seances, Mr. "I want to be a gaffe-head like Biden" Obama. Perhaps you should check your fact sheet before you open your mouth.

No... it's nothing worth kicking the man out of office over but you would think he could learn how to be considerate of others and not always try to get in the last laugh. He's like a comedian struggling during the last 15 minutes of his stand-up show with no material left in his bag.

Please note that what we all know to be true, will indeed be true. IF people making under $250k get this tax break he's promising, it won't last long. And we all know that the $250k figure will gradually (or hell, maybe even instantaneously) be lowered. Eventually taxes will increase and everyone will stand with their mouths wide open wondering what just hit them over the head.

To those people living in New York... sorry guys... you just got taken advantage of and what's really amazing is the fact so many of you voted for him. Don't come crying to those of us who didn't vote to have your taxes increased... I stood up for you... you merely rolled over.

... His team is tamping down expectations of instant action by discouraging talk of a 100-day program.

Good luck with that. As Stephen Hess, the Brookings Institution expert on the presidency says in his new book on presidential transitions "What Do We Do Now?" that's been tried by other presidents, like Richard Nixon.

"But on every Day One Hundred of every new presidency, every presidential scholar in the country will be called by a reporter for his or her assessment of the president's failures."

So new presidents are expected to hit the ground running and that's even more true for Obama since he's dealing with not just the economic and financial crisis but all the promises he made during his campaign, from rapidly unwinding the U.S. position in Iraq to expanding health-care to cutting taxes for those making less than $250,000.

From the sound of it, it appears that Obama's advisers are wisely going try and limit what they try to accomplish legislatively in their first one hundred days since a president and Congress can only handle so much at one time.

Of course they are... of course his advisers are going to try to give Obama more time and more excuses for not getting done what he promised to get done. Too bad for that "100-day expectation" that every other president has had to deal with... but Obama is not a special case. If anything, he has made it perfectly clear that he's PERFECT and unstoppable in his plans for making the greatest country into a pile of "past greatness".

Due to the over confidence Obama let fall from his lips every time he turned around, you would think everything would be fixed on January 21st, 2008.

Then again... based on the latest gaffe regarding Nancy Reagan and the fact he didn't even get THAT right, I wonder how many other things he'll have to apologize to the American Citizens for; like every promise he made just to get people to vote for him.

This election was indeed an historic event and all Americans should feel proud of how far our country has come in just a few hundred years. We elect individuals into office with no prejudice to gender, color, religion, sexual preference, etc. We even elect people without regard to past movie ratings, gaffes or wrestling failures. All kidding aside... our country gives every American the same chances as every other American. People may stand and deny this fact but, in reality, they really can't.

That being said, anyone who voted for Barack Obama ONLY because he is a black man really needs to look at themselves and what they stand for in our country. Voting for a person because you believe in their policies is the right reason to vote. Voting for someone just because they are black or white, or a man or a woman, or Mormon or Catholic or because the person is gay or straight... is flat out the wrong reason to vote. None of these are good reasons... I would vote for a man or woman who was green with purple polka dots if that person was the right person for the job.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

An email I sent to my friends and those who feel similar to how I feel:

One of the ladies here at work is on the phone telling how she cried when Obama won and how she’s so excited. She said that she has heard that people say he LEANS towards socialism and her response is “ya… ya… I know, we need change”. She has expressed how she thinks socialism is better, so she’s definitely happy about what has happened. Socialism has never worked and it only has one direction…

She’s still going on about how wonderful it is that a black man has become president… and she’s crying. She seems to be like so many others that apparently think this is somehow retribution to all that has ever happened to “them” in our history. She neglects to realize that other countries were far worse than ours in respect to slavery and how they don’t give individuals who are different equal rights, even TODAY. There is no law in our country that states a person can not succeed due to color… as a matter of fact, we’ve done all we can to avoid it. So when they say “finally, justice is served” I wonder just what injustice they are talking about.

Oh… and TODAY she’s proud to be an American.

Another lady here mentioned how someone she knows voted for Obama to get rid of the “them vs. us” mentality. I’ve never thought that… ever! We are all Americans or we are not. Voting for someone because you hope it will equal things out is stupid… what about his policies?

Have I just been completely blind to how horrible it must be to be different than others? Hell, I am different than others… I was not born with the perfect nose or mouth… should I now feel I deserve retribution; perhaps a hand out. Maybe I shouldn’t be happy and proud to be an American until someone who went through the exact same thing I went through is president. Perhaps I should feel bitter and demand that those with a perfect face give me “something” to pay for my pain. Perhaps my son, who has never felt my childhood experiences, should also get something for my pain?

Some would say there’s a huge difference… really? My childhood, on into the early years of my adult life, were filled with name calling and being excluded from groups due to how I looked. I went through a job rejection due to the fact I would have to deal with the public and their company appearance was very important. I experienced it personally. I don’t see much of a difference.

What I won’t do is force my son to feel prejudice towards others who look like those who hurt me long ago. That is why racism lives today… because we force our children to either feel they are “owed” something because of past hatred or we make them feel “guilty” for being on the wrong side of the coin.

I've had a FEW email conversations lately and thought I would share some of what was discussed. I do feel good that I'm not the only concerned American worried for my country, my life and the life of my children during the next 4 to 8+ years.

Many Americans voted based on the fear that there would be riots in the streets and that a second Civil War was about to break out. Reminds me of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. We'll walk down the streets pretending to be “one of them” and say something like “freedom of speech” or "America is great" and everyone will start hissing and beating us senseless.

Remember all of the gaffes Biden made during the election? Remember how it looked like he was trying to lose the election? Turns out he could have said anything and it would not have mattered.

People this year voted with their feelings because it felt good to vote for change. They voted for someone who's only real campaign plug was "Yes we can... we can CHANGE." And that is why people got out to vote... pretty, flowery words of hope with nothing of substance to back it up. What kind of change, Barack? Seems he made it perfectly clear that the change will be whatever is the best for his agenda of absolute power.

What about all of the other countries who were cheering for Obama? Interesting how some of them are actually our enemies... or are supporting our enemies. They feel Obama will destroy capitalism and freedom in America and thus allow their forces of terrorism to wander in and casually take us over. Slavery is right around the corner if we just sit on our couches and let it happen.

What about my job? I hear the ladies at my work talk about how "things will change now" and everything is going to get better once Obama is in office. And I'm curious just what they think will happen once Obama's tax plans go into affect. I wonder if they think the owners will just take a hit to their own bank accounts because they have to pay more taxes.

No, ladies...no.

Let's look at it this way. Last year we received raises, bonuses and profit sharing and we were able to hire new employees when the work increased. Once Obama's tax plan go into affect, this is what will happen.

IF we end up getting a raise, it will be the bare minimum

IF we get bonuses, they will be very small

IF we get profit sharing, it will barely be worth getting because it goes straight into our 401K

IF taxes are too high, they will let people go and those remaining will take up the slack for less money

Plus… I work in the durable medical equipment industry and if we go to socialized medicine like other countries, the company will not exist the way it does now. All medical equipment will have to be provided out of hospitals.

So why are they so happy? People just don’t think about the consequences... they just want change for the sake of changing.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Take away thy peasant's guns and force them to serve and ye shall rule thy domain with a fist of gold.

Gun sales up... odd. I wonder why that might be? Perhaps the threats being spewed from Liberal mouths to take guns away from American citizens is starting to take hold of our brains and we're finally waking up to the reality that citizens without the ability to protect themselves will ultimately be forced into slavery and bondage? And yet... so many of these same Liberals find joy in allowing abortions up to the point that a baby's head pops out into the world. It's okay to kill an innocent child but not a robber coming into a citizen's home? How many people who defend their homes actually shoot to kill? The statistics are lower than some may think and yet it's encouraged to have an abortion even when you can hear the baby crying out? Interesting.

Meanwhile, back in Obama's slave dreams, he "will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year."

{please see "new info" at the bottom of the post}

That doesn't sound like freewill to me... that sounds like blackmail. "If you don't serve the way Obama wants you to serve, you won't graduate from school." That's what it sounds like to me. That isn't good will towards men... that's forced service... that's forced tolerance and forced kindness. It will backfire by creating either very angry citizens or those who walk around in a dazed trance, not knowing who they are.

Mr. Obama... your Changenism Policies are nothing more than communism. You know it and the communist party knows it; that's why they love you so much.

"When you choose to serve -- whether it's your nation, your community or simply your neighborhood -- you are connected to that fundamental American ideal that we want life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness not just for ourselves, but for all Americans. That's why it's called the American dream."

[...]

Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a planto require50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year. Obama will encourage retiring Americans to serve by improving programs available for individuals over age 55, while at the same time promoting youth programs such as Youth Build and Head Start."

This is important to understand... in the first paragraph above you will notice how it makes you feel that serving is the ultimate in bonding as a nation... that it's our duty and we should feel grateful and thrilled.

This also has the ability of making a person feel guilty for not doing ENOUGH (aka as much as the government demands) and these two things together (some feeling pride in it and others feeling guilty) will divide a nation in half. Those who want to serve but not be forced to serve will be against those who force others to do more no matter what.

The second paragraph is the follow up... the actual demand and implied threat right after buttering a person up to feel compelled to comply.

It's trickery... it's evil and it's communism. I am a free human being and I live in America, the most free country on the planet... but if we as a nation and as individuals sitting in our homes or at our places of work do not stand up and say "enough is enough" and let our voices be heard... freedom will be a word erased from the dictionary and something spoken of only in whispers in dark corners of lonely hallways.

No thank you, Mr. Obama... you do not own me!! Slavery was outlawed a very long time ago.

Turns out THEY realized that Americans are not going to just roll and give in to slavery... Obama's Slave Changenism Policy has taken a NEW change... just to keep the masses at a safe distance.

Sorry Obamanation... We don't want to play in your sandbox... it's full of crap!

"... will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by setting a goal that all middle school and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year and by developing a plan so that all college students who conduct 100 hours of community service receive a universal and fully refundable tax credit ensuring that the first $4,000 of their college education is completely free."

That's right B.O. - buy the charity... nothing like teaching our citizens that doing something "selfishly" for others is a purchasable item.

And during his years in office, how many times will Barack pointhis finger at George for mistakes he (Obama) makes ratherthan being a man and admitting he's wrong?

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And at what point will the pledge of allegiance and thenational anthem be outlawed and considered"old school and unnecessary" values......And what will this country surrender to justfor the sake of Obama's greater good?.....And who will give it all away?

Not me!!

I remember hearing so many from the Left say that Obama was NOT a socialist... today my workmate was on the phone saying that she knew he leaned towards socialism but that was fine with her because we need change.

The Democrats have become, in many instances, the new socialist party. There may be some Dems left who disagree or claim they are not but until we get a real conservative candidate who stands up for his or her beliefs without cowarding to the whims of the Left... socialism will go further in this country then ever imagined. It also stands to reason that until real democrats stand up to their own party... they might as well get used to being called socialists.

Intimidation for any reason should not be allowed at the polling locations. It doesn't matter if these men were there to stop Obama supporters or McCain supporters... this isn't a police state and citizens don't get to stand in front of doors with night sticks or any other weapons in the guise of "securing the premises".

That being said... imagine if someone from a white supremacists group was standing outside a polling station doing this same thing? Seems to many in the real world that the black panthers represent black supremacists.

~~~

Concerned Citizen:"I think you might be a little bit intimidating that you have a stick in your hand... I mean that's a weapon and that's why I'm worried. [...] You have a night stick in your hand."

This brings up an important question... with men running around like this who think they can take the law into their own hands, how long before we are under the thumb of a police state? Skipping along into socialism only leads to sliding into the home base of communism. I know it seems a little on the side of paranoia, but lately we've been given cause.

To the Left:Stop giving my freedoms away just to give your lowly life more meaning!

~~~

To family members who vote for Obama:Our dreams include being business owners and hiring people to work with us. If Obama has his way with taxes, we may not be able to give others a job or we may end up letting them go. And if Obama takes our money away to spread the wealth around, then we will not have the ability to help our friends and family. We aren't planning our future out just to collect money and hoard it all away... we want to help those in our family who are in need and we won't be able to do it under Obama's plan. Obama won't take up the slack either... he won't give you as much as we would; and he certainly won't give you any of his millions.

~~~

Why do people hate Sarah Palin?People hate Sarah Palin because they are jealous of some aspect of her life that represents what they do not have or have not done. Hell, there are a lot of things I should have done by now and there are a lot of things I still have not finished… but that is my fault. People don’t like to look inward because it’s too painful… regret hurts and if you never deal with it, it just gets bigger. So "why not" point a finger at this woman who has done more than many others with most “everything” in her life. It’s not that she’s just a great Governor… it’s that her life behind the scenes is good too. People delight in movie stars who appear happy and yet their personal life sucks… it makes the little people feel good about not even trying to succeed.

~~~

Bug Drivel New Header Addition:This election has exposed so much garbage, no truck could hold it all.

The election of 2008 has exposed the Left, the Liberals and their Minion Media;and they are ugly when they are naked.

Liberals cling to their guns of injustice and their religion of immorality.

Suppose that every day, 10 men go out for drinks and the bill for all 10, comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.The fifth would pay $1.The sixth would pay $3.The seventh would pay $7.The eighth would pay $12.The ninth would pay $18.The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do. The 10 men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve.

'Since you are all such good customers, he said, I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily drinking by $20.' Drinks for the 10 now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first 4 men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But, what about the other 6 men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?' They realized that $20 divided by 6 is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the 5th man and the 6th man would each end up being paid for his drinking. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to workout the amounts each man should pay.

Each of the 6 men was better off than before. And the first 4 men continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

'I only got a $1, out of the $20', declared the 6th man. He pointed to the 10th man, 'but he got $10!'

'Yeah, that's right, 'exclaimed the 5th man. 'I only saved a $1, too. It's unfair that he got 10 times more than I!'

'That's true!!', shouted the 7th man. 'Why should he get $10 back when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!'

'Wait a minute,' yelled the first 4 men in unison. 'We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!'

The 9 men surrounded the 10th man and beat him up.

The next night the 10th man didn't show up for drinks, so the 9 sat down and had drinks without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all 9, of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the economic atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

~~~

Joke?

Pinocchio, Snow White, and Superman are out for a stroll in town one day. As they walked they come across a sign: 'Beauty contest for the most beautiful woman in the world.'

'I am entering,' said Snow White. After half an hour she comes out and they ask her, Well, how'd ya do?' ' First Place ', said Snow White.

They continue walking and they see a sign: 'Contest for the strongest man in the world.'

'I'm entering,' says Superman and after half an hour he returns. They ask him, 'How did you make out?' ' First Place ,' answers Superman.

They continue walking when they see a sign: 'Contest for the greatest liar in the world?'

Pinocchio enters. After half an hour he returns with tears in his eyes. 'What happened?' they asked.

Since I identify with the people who fall into Barrack Obama's elitist description about of people of faith who keep firearms I'm not very happy with Barrack Obama's recent remarks.

He said something to the effect that us rednecks cling to our guns and our religion when we get frustrated and I would like to take umbrage to these remarks. My faith goes much deeper than his superficial explanation and I love my guns even when I'm not frustrated.

And I am not by myself. I was going to church and shooting guns before Mr. Obama was even born and come from a long line of good people who have been doing it for generations.

To me this latest Obama blunder only helps reveal the depth of condescension the far left wing of the Democrat party has for the folks out here in flyover country.

Mr. Obama's remarks are insulting to a lot of folks. It's kind of like Abraham Lincoln said, "God must love the common people because he made so many of them".

His remarks make me think that Obama doesn't know the people of this country very well. I'm sure he knows the jet set and the Hollywood bunch, the limousine liberals and the save the whales, kill the babies crowd, but does he think that the ordinary people don't count? Does he think that they're so stupid that they don't know who he's talking about when he says these things? Does he think their opinions aren't important? Apparently.

How can a man stand in front of America and tell people what he wants to do for them and have so little respect for a whole segment of the population. In fact, a very large segment. Does that mean that he would only represent the high-minded liberal ideals of the far left and ignore the rest of us?

What kind of Commander and Chief would he make if he doesn't respect the very people who make up the lion's share of the armed forces.

You may say I'm over reacting, but I'm getting sick and tired of him making these elitist statements and saying that he had been taken out of context or some other flimsy excuse.

After his wife's remark about not being proud of this country and his pastor's statements calling America the U.S.K.K.K.A. and his own statement about not wanting his daughter punished with a baby, it makes me wonder what kind of a man Obama really is and what kind of a president he'd make.

Would he be an antigun advocate pushing the effort to take the firearms out of innocent citizen's hands? Would he not respect the religious beliefs of America, not taking them into account in his agenda?

I really don't know much about the man and neither does America. He basically came from out of nowhere and as the facts come out little by little, they don't make a particularly confident picture.

I have a great fear that if our military gets broken by another president, this time we're not going to have time to fix it again and what that spells for America, I don't even want to contemplate.

May we each take the moment necessary out of this day and anyday we feel the need to remember those who have gone before us in defense of our freedoms. Without them... we would not be "here"... we would be in chains. ~Bug~

The Gadsden Flag - Don't Tread on Me

"She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage... she never wounds 'till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, & cautioned him against the danger of treading on her."

Things to Ponder

Ronald Reagan - a real hero

In the 80s, I struggled with wanting my father to be there for me, but he really wasn't. I can't tell you how many times I thought of Ronald Reagan as a father figure. I couldn't have told you the first thing about politics... he just seemed the right choice for me. ~bug~

Reagan Quote

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant: It's just that they know so much that isn't so."~ Ronald Reagan ~